MCG seeks more power to act against building violations

Two days after HT reported that the MCG had missed the court deadline to initiate lawful action against illegal guest houses, PGs etc in residential areas of private colonies, the civic body finally filed its reply to the Haryana government on Wednesday.

Two days after Hindustan Times reported that the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) had missed the court deadline to initiate lawful action against illegal guest houses, PGs etc in residential areas of private colonies, the civic body finally filed its reply to the Haryana government on Wednesday.

HT Image

In its reply, the civic body has sought more power to take lawful action against the owners of illegal guest houses, PGs, mobile towers, nursing homes etc.

At present, the MCG lacks power to initiate action against the defaulters in private localities which come under the jurisdiction of the town and country planning department.

The civic body has sought incorporation of Sections 351 and 351-A in the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act-1994, as mentioned in the five-page letter written to the principal secretary, Haryana urban local bodies.

"This is important to enable the MCG's enforcement wing to comply with the high court order of August 23, 2012," said a senior MCG official.

The two sections had been omitted by the Haryana government from the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act-1994 in 2004, prohibiting its jurisdiction in controlled areas that come under the town and country planning department.

The MCG has requested that until both the sections are implemented by the urban local bodies, the town and country planning department should issue necessary orders to the DTP enforcement, which is under the control of the MCG commissioner. This will ensure that the high court order is implemented in letter and spirit.

The high court had directed the MCG to take over regulatory control of all private localities from the town and country planning department, Gurgaon, and initiate lawful action against violators after expiry of the three-month deadline.

The three-month deadline had been set by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 23 last year. The deadline ended on November 22.